Andrea Sembroni

Roma Tre University | UNIROMA3

The spatiotemporal interaction of large‐ and regional‐scale upper mantle forces can prevail in collisional settings. To better understand the role of these forces on post‐subduction tectonics, we focus on mantle dynamics in the East Anatolian Plateau, a well‐documented segment of the Arabian‐Eurasian continental collision zone. Specifically, we ana...

The Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt (ZFTB) is an outstanding orogen running from eastern Turkey to the Makran area. It is formed as a consequence of the convergence between the Arabian and the Eurasian plates that occurred in the Neogene. This still active and long-lasting process generated a topographic configuration dominated by a series of parallel...

Orogenic plateaus of continental collision zones exhibit landforms and fluvial networks that retain first‐order information on their topographic evolution and vertical growth. The inversion of river longitudinal profiles allows to reconstruct the base level fall history of plateaus, supporting the study of landscape evolution in the frame of geodyn...

The Atlas‐Meseta intracontinental orographic system of Morocco experienced recent, large‐scale surface uplift as documented by elevated late Miocene, shallow‐water marine deposits exposed in the Middle Atlas Mountains. The Anti‐Atlas Mountains do not present any stratigraphic records that document regional vertical movements, however, the presence...

In convergent systems, the interplay between tectonics, erosion, and sedimentation controls the orogenic evolution. The nature of the interactions between these factors is still elusive due to the complex feedbacks that operate across different temporal and spatial scales. Here, we investigate these feedbacks with analog models of landscape evoluti...

Asthenosphere-lithosphere interactions modulated by surface processes generate outstanding topographies and sedimentary basins, but the nature of these interactions and the mechanisms through which they control the evolution of extensional tectonic settings are elusive. Basal lithospheric shearing due to plume-related mantle flow leads to extension...

Topography and drainage systems are powerful recorders of tectonic activity especially in regions with limited geological data. The Atlas-Meseta system of Morocco experienced a late Cenozoic topographic rejuvenation related to mantle dynamics. This recent, large-scale, mantle-driven uplift is documented by a few geological evidence such as uplifted...

High-elevation plateaus that are positioned in between topographic barriers are common orogenic features in the South American continent, formed under a range of evolving environmental conditions. For example, in the central Andes (Bolivia-Argentina), the Puna-Altiplano is arid and endorheic with a poorly developed fluvial system, whilst in the nor...

The interaction between sedimentation/erosion and faulting represents one of the most intriguing topics in landscape and tectonics evolution. Only few studies have been able to document the feedback between faulting and sedimentary loading from field observations. Here, we focus on how sediment loading/unloading influences the dynamics of fault sys...

Continental areas affected by mantle plume dynamics are characterised by extensive high-elevated regions drained by large radial river networks. Despite successive isostatic adjustments and rifting events, several studies demonstrated that the persistence of these drainage systems for tens of millions of years is possible. In these geodynamic conte...

Despite the high geoheritage value of caves and karsts, northern Ethiopia's largest cave at Zeyi (13.5586°N, 39.1454°E) in the Dogu'a Tembien district has received little attention so far. We have studied its geological, geomorphic, socio-cultural and historical dimensions in a holistic way. The basal member of the Antalo Limestone, in which the Ze...

Despite the high geoheritage value of caves and karsts, northern Ethiopia’s largest cave at Zeyi (13.5586°N, 39.1454°E) in the Dogu’a Tembien district has received little attention so far. We have studied its geological, geomorphic, socio-cultural and historical dimensions in a holistic way. The basal member of the Antalo Limestone, in which the Ze...

Despite the high geoheritage value of caves and karsts, northern Ethiopia's largest cave at Zeyi (13.5586°N, 39.1454°E) in the Dogu'a Tembien district has received little attention so far. We have studied its geological, geomorphic, socio-cultural and historical dimensions in a holistic way. The basal member of the Antalo Limestone, in which the Ze...

The Nile is the longest river on Earth and has persisted for millions of years. It has been suggested that the Nile in its present path is ~6 million years old, whereas others argue that it may have formed much earlier in geological history. Here we present geological evidence and geodynamic model results that suggest that the Nile drainage has bee...

The Apennines chain is an active Neogene fold-and-thrust belt resulting from the westward subduction of the Adriatic microplate. Starting from the end of the Early Pleistocene, the chain was affected by an increase in regional uplift. Recent GPS data resolved uplift rates of 1–2 mm/yr for the whole Apennines, whereas, in the Adriatic flank, several...

The Dogu’a Tembien Massif is located on the western margin of the Mekelle Outlier, a nearly circular mountainous area (8000 km²) with elevations ranging between 1200 and 2850 m (Fig. 2.1a).

Rock avalanches are among the most hazardous processes on hillslopes because of high velocity, great dimensions, and long run-out distance. For this reason, understanding the dynamics and factors of rock avalanches and their role in hillslope evolution is crucial. Studies evidenced that occurrence and evolution of these phenomena are influenced by...

Large river systems play an important role in Earth dynamics since they exert an influence on geological, geomorphological, and geochemical processes. On the other hand, these landforms occur in a variety of topographic and plate tectonic settings and tend to persist for 10⁷–10⁸ yr, resisting variations in environmental conditions. Both modern and...

We investigate the along-axis variations in architecture, segmentation and evolution of the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), East Africa, and relate these characteristics to the regional geology, lithospheric structure and surface processes. We first illustrate significant along-axis variations in basin architecture through analysis of simplified geologi...

We present a geologic map of the Tekeze River basin that covers an area of ∼69,000 km² of northern Ethiopia. The map synthesizes new data collected in two campaigns between March, 2012 and January, 2013 and compiled at a scale of 1:500,000 with published geologic surveys. The map focuses on the main geologic and tectonic features relevant to a mode...

Density anomalies beneath the lithosphere are expected to generate dynamic topography at the Earth's surface due to the induced mantle flow stresses which scale linearly with density anomalies, while the viscosity of the upper mantle is expected to control uplift rates. However, limited attention has been given to the role of the lithosphere. Here,...

An outlier consists of an area of younger rocks surrounded by older ones. Its formation is mainly related to the erosion of surrounding rocks which causes the interruption of the original continuity of the rocks. Because of its origin, an outlier is an important witness of the paleogeography of a region and, therefore, essential to understand its t...

Ethiopia is a key site to investigate the interactions between mantle dynamics and surface processes because of the presence of the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), Cenozoic continental flood basalt volcanism, and plateau uplift. The role of mantle plumes in causing Ethiopia's flood basalts and tectonics has been commonly accepted. However, the location...

Ethiopia offers an excellent opportunity to study the effects and linkage between mantle dynamics and surface processes on landscape evolution. The Ethiopian Highlands (NW Ethiopia), characterized by a huge basaltic plateau, is part of the African Superswell, a wide region of dynamically-supported anomalously high topography related to the rising o...

Recent modeling shows that surface processes, such as erosion and deposition, may drive the deformation of the Earth's surface, interfering with deeper crustal and mantle signals. To investigate the coupling between the surface and deep process, we designed a three-dimensional laboratory apparatus, to analyze the role of erosion and sedimentation,...

Thermal or density anomalies located beneath the lithosphere are thought to generate dynamic topography. Such a topographic signal compensates the viscous stresses originating from the anomaly driven mantle flow. It has been demonstrated that the erosion modulates the dynamic signal of topography changing the uplift rate by unload. The characterist...